UK Jewish students honoured by peers around the world

British Jewish students have scooped a host of accolades from their peers around the world after being honoured for campus activism as well as campaigns on mental health and interfaith work.

Among the students celebrated was Birmingham Theology student Izzy Lenga, who was named Political Activist of the Year by the World Union of Jewish Students, which is currently headed by London-born Yosef Tashish.

“Choosing to honour Izzy with this award was simple,” he said. “There was no doubt in the minds of the judges how much she deserved it for her work calling out and challenging anti-Semitism in the National Union of Students and the wider student movement.”

Tashish was referring to past comments from current NUS President Malia Bouattia, who has been a frequent critic of Israel and Zionism, and who once called Lenga’s university a “Zionist outpost”. Bouattia has said that her anti-Zionism is political, and has vowed to protect Jewish students in the UK from anti-Semitism on campus.

Also honoured were Oxford students Yoni Stone and Sacha Ephrussi with the WUJS Interfaith Award, while students behind the ‘Reclaim’ campaign won the Campaign of the Year Award for raising awareness around mental health problems.

Additionally, current NUS vice-president Rob Young won the inaugural Metta Saade Award for Campus Heroes, after he initiated a national review of the experience of Jewish students at university.